Disclosure ref: 15 Sent: 20th March 2020

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request

Information into workplace bullying, sexism and racism

Request (in italics and emboldened) and Response appear below

1. Allegations of workplace bullying, sexism and racism a. May you please provide the number of allegations of workplace bullying reported within your organisation by present and former staff? Please provide the figures per year within the following calendar years: 2019, 2018 and 2017

In response to question 1a, between the financial years of 2017 to 2019, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reported a total number of 38 allegations of workplace bullying. Please see table below for the yearly breakdown.

| Year | Number | |------|--------| | 2017 | 11 | | 2018 | 12 | | 2019 | 15 |

b. May you please provide the number of allegations of workplace sexual harassment reported within your organisation by present and former staff? Please provide the figures per year within the following calendar years: 2019, 2018 and 2017

Please refer to the table below for the yearly breakdown outlined within the scope of your request.

| Year | Number | |------|--------| | 2017 | 0 | | 2018 | 1 | | 2019 | 0 | c. *May you please provide the number of allegations of workplace racism / religious discrimination reported within your organisation by present and former staff? Please provide the figures per year within the following calendar years: 2019, 2018 and 2017*

In response to question 1c, please refer to the table below.

| Year | Number | |------|--------| | 2017 | 1 | | 2018 | 0 | | 2019 | 0 |

2. *Disciplinary Action taken*

a. *How many complaints of workplace sexual harassment resulted in some form of disciplinary action? Please provide the figures per year within the following calendar years: 2019, 2018 and 2017*

In response to question 2a, the table below provides the breakdown of workplace sexual harassment in 2019, 2018 and 2017 financial years.

| Year | Number | |------|--------| | 2017 | 1 | | 2018 | 1 | | 2019 | 0 |

b. *How many complaints of workplace bullying resulted in some form of disciplinary action? Please provide the figures per year within the following calendar years: 2019, 2018 and 2017*

The table below provides a yearly breakdown of workplace bullying for 2019, 2018 and 2017.

| Year | Number | |------|--------| | 2017 | 0 | | 2018 | 2 | | 2019 | 0 |

c. *How many complaints of workplace racial / religious discrimination resulted in some form of disciplinary action? Please provide the figures per year within the following calendar years: 2019, 2018 and 2017* In response to question 2c above, the table shows the number of complaints made in relation to workplace racial and religious discrimination within the financial years outlined in your request.

| Year | Number | |------|--------| | 2017 | 0 | | 2018 | 0 | | 2019 | 1 |

3. **NDAs/ Settlement Agreements signed** a. Please provide the number of settlement agreements / NDAs signed by former or present staff who brought forward allegations of racism, religious discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment b. Please provide the figures per year within the following calendar years: 2019, 2018 and 2017 i.e in 2018, 4 settlement agreements were signed by departing staff. These 4 settlement agreements related to allegations of workplace sexual harassment. c. How much was paid in each instance? Please provide the figures per year within the following calendar years: 2019, 2018 and 2017 i.e in 2018, 4 settlement agreements were signed by departing staff. These 4 settlement agreements related to allegations of workplace sexual harassment. In each case, £10,000 was paid

If this is not possible, under data protection laws please provide the figures across the three year period.

In relation to question three (a, b and c), less than five settlement agreements related to allegations of workplace bullying, please note that this did not include a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) clause. Due to the low numbers recorded, this information has been anonymised and therefore exempt from disclosure under Section 40 (2) –Personal Information, of the FOI Act to protect the identity of those it relates to.. It is necessary to anonymise and withhold this information to ensure individuals who have faced complaints or allegations of misconduct cannot be identified. Please see the attached section 17 notice which explains this exemption in further details.

To disclose this type of information would be unfair to the individuals concerned; individuals have a clear and strong expectation that their personal data will be held in confidence and not disclosed to the public under the FOI Act. This is especially true of sensitive personal data as it comprises information that individuals will regard as the most private.

Information Access Team 020 3357 0788 IAT@cps.gov.uk